Don Butler resigned as vice president of Global Cadillac Strategic Development

Don Butler has resigned from his post as Vice President of Global Cadillac Strategic Development at General Motors. He will be the second top Cadillac executive to depart from GM in recent weeks. His resignation comes as Cadillac is experiencing strong sales performance in the United States and is amidst a global expansion move. Butler told Automotive News in an e-mail that his resignation from Cadillac is “purely a personal decision.”

He said that the company encouraged him to stay, but he proceeded with his resignation has he needs to “take a step back and focus on the right priorities” in his life. In April 2013, GM promoted Butler was promoted as vice president of global strategic development, which a newly created post to spearhead Cadillac’s overseas growth strategy. GM said during his appointment that Butler’s role was to drive "the next phase of Cadillac growth internationally."

Butler was recruited by Mark Reuss, GM North America President, in 2010 to become the Cadillac’s top marketer and reported to Bob Ferguson, vice president of global Cadillac. Two sources told Automotive News that said Butler's resignation was a surprise to top GM executives.

Cadillac posted a 30-percent surge in sales in the United States in the first seven months of 2013. GM’s premium brand is planning to launch 10 new or redesigned vehicles by mid-2015 and aims to more than triple its sales in China by that year to 100,000 units.